Perfect Seasons

COMMUNITY SPORTS

The Indian Ridge Jaguars used a 2-0 shutout over the Margate Middle Spartans to win the Broward County Girls' Middle School soccer championship.

Indian Ridge, in Davie, finished the season undefeated by winning the game played Jan. 28 at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

The teams did not play each other in the regular season. Indian Ridge and Margate were evenly matched as they dueled to a 0-0 tie at the end of the first half.

The Jaguars, coached by Suzanne Zinkil, used halftime to talk strategy and discuss changes in their game plan.

"We talked a lot about give-and-go, controlling the ball more during the game, because we knew Margate would physically be a bigger team," Zinkil said.

With 10 minutes left in the game, Nikki Nicosia powered a ball past the outstretched hands of Margate's goalkeeper Melissa Douglas.

"With Nikki up front, and her twin sister, Traci, playing back on defense, I've got a lot of confidence in the middle of the field," Zinkil said.

Less than four minutes after she scored, Nicosia, playing with a broken left arm in a cast, fed Leysa Iwaszkewycz the ball and Iwaskewycz scored.

Nicosia earned MVP honors for her goal and assist.

"We came in not knowing what to expect since we had never seen Margate play, but we didn't want to underestimate them," Iwaszkewycz said.

"It was our goal all year to come to Countys," Nicosia, 12, said after the game. "I knew that we would be playing tough today, so even though Margate was a good team, I knew that we could win this game."

Zinkil said this championship team featured the best defense she has ever coached.

"I have seven seventh-graders, all of whom started, so I have a very solid core of players coming back to defend this championship next year," Zinkil said.